Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-03-14

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat wants the Annan plan to be attached to Cyprus' EU accession agreement.

[02] The so-called "ministry of foreign affairs" of the puppet regime alleges that the Turkish occupation army has the right to have troops in Cyprus.

[03] PUM: "Turkey led again the negotiations to an impasse".

[04] Mr Alvaro de Soto talks to CNN TURK and reiterates that Mr Denktas has totally rejected the Annan plan.

[05] The Turkish state continues to prevent the Kurdish people from exercising its legitimate rights.

[06] A new rally in favour of solution and EU accession to take place today in occupied Nicosia.

[07] The Turkish Cypriots believe that Rauf Denktas is intransigent.

[08] After torpedoing the talks in the Hague, Denktas is now said to conditionally accept referendum.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Mehmet Ali Birand: "For Cyprus, cough up the money."

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat wants the Annan plan to be attached to Cyprus' EU accession agreement

Talking yesterday after a meeting with Italy's ambassador to Nicosia, Gerardo La Francesca, Mr Talat said that he had proposed to the ambassador that the UN Security Council and the EU should adopt the Annan plan as an official document of the United Nations and attach it to the agreement to be signed on 16 April between the Republic of Cyprus and the EU.

Mr Talat supported that it was important that the Annan plan remains on the table.

[02] The so-called "ministry of foreign affairs" of the puppet regime alleges that the Turkish occupation army has the right to have troops in Cyprus

Responding to Mr Jean Christopher Filori, the Spokesman of EU Commissioner responsible for the enlargement, who had said that the Turkish army would be occupying EU territory when the Republic of Cyprus joins the EU without a solution to the political problem on the island, the so-called "ministry" accused Mr Filori of not knowing the "historical and legal realities".

[03] PUM: "Turkey led again the negotiations to an impasse"

"Turkey, which refuses to accept Cyprus as a separate state, led again the negotiations into an impasse, like Mr Denktas wanted. .Turkey insists on not recognizing to us the right to determine our future. Rejecting to discuss the security issue and help (towards finding a solution) like it had promised the EU and the UN and using as pretext Mr Denktas, whom it had imposed on us and supported him even by forcing the other candidates to withdraw, Turkey preferred to bargain on our back having the mentality 'what am I going to gain from this'. By pursuing this unrealistic dream it has put into a difficult situation its EU accession, in spite of the fact that its people want this accession. And finally, it is face to face with the reality of annexing the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus. Our people will continue and intensify their struggle for solution and the EU. .".

[04] Mr Alvaro de Soto talks to CNN TURK and reiterates that Mr Denktas has totally rejected the Annan plan

According to the paper, Mr de Soto told Mr Birand that President Papadopoulos had not asked for amendments on the plan and responded "yes" under some conditions to conducting a referendum. Mr Papadopoulos did not ask for the impossible under these conditions, underlined the UN official and added: "However, Mr Denktas rejected both the basis and the philosophy of the plan as well as conducting a referendum".

Mr de Soto noted that Mr Denktas had never acted according to the seriousness of the negotiations, had not been ready, had no working plan and delayed to establish the technical committees.

"The Secretary - General has put an end to the negotiations because he saw that Denktas had no will and that the negotiations would have no result", said Mr de Soto.

[05] The Turkish state continues to prevent the Kurdish people from exercising its legitimate rights

The court banned 46 people, including former HADEP leader Murat Bozlak, from politics for five years.

Constitutional Court Chairman Mustafa Bumin said that the lawsuit was filed on January 29, 1999 and that the indictment referred to some lawsuits filed in State Security Courts (DGMs). Therefore, Bumin noted, the closure case lasted long.

Bumin later announced their decision. Below is the decision of the court delegation:

"1- HADEP has become a center of acts against the inseparable integrity of the country and nation by aiding and abetting the terrorist organization PKK besides several other acts. Therefore, it should be closed down under articles 101 and 103 of the Political Parties Law and 68 and 69 of the Constitution.

2- Members of the party namely Murat Bozlak, Hikmet Fidan, Kemal Bulbul, Kemal Okutan, Kudret Gozutok, Esref Odabasi, Recep Doganer, Mehmet Satan, Hamit Geylani, Mehmet Selim Okcuoglu, Hayri Ates, Hasan Dogan, Mehmet Yucedag, Arif Atalay, Huseyin Duran, Ismail Minkara, Hamza Abay, Yilmaz Acikyuz, Muharrem Bulbul, Serhat Inan, Guven Ozata, Kadir Bedir, Haci Pamuk, Ismail Turap, Abuzer Aslan, Riza Kilinc, Sukru Karadag, Ramazan Sertkaya, Mehmet Mansur Resitoglu, Hediyetullah Ulgen, Mehmet Emin Bayar, Suzan Erdogan, Halime Koklutas, Mehmet Yardimciel, Semistan Agbaba, Zeki Kilicgedik, Sakine Berktas, Hasan Yildirim, Beser Kaplan, Hidir Berktas, Sabri Sel, Ferhat Avci, Yasar Ucar, Ali Gelgec, Veysel Turhan, and Abuzer Yavas can`t be a founder, member, administrator and inspector of another party for five years after the reasoned verdict is issued in the Official Gazette under the ninth paragraph of the article 69 of the Constitution.

3- The legal entity of the party will end on the date when the verdict is announced.

4- All assets of the party will be transferred to the Treasury under the article 107 of the Political Parties Law.

5- The verdict will be notified to the Prime Ministry and Chief Prosecutor`s Office for fulfillment of the requirements under article 107 of the Political Parties Law.

Moreover, TERCUMAN also reports that the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu filed yesterday a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court demanding closure of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).

Kanadoglu filed a lawsuit for closure of DEHAP on charges that the acts of the party were against the principles of democratic republic, equality and legal state, on charges that the party caused loss of confidence in legal institutions, and caused doubt about the democratic structure of the state.

[06] A new rally in favour of solution and EU accession to take place today in occupied Nicosia

According to an announcement issued by the organizations, the rally is being organized in order to show to the United Nations, the European Union and the guarantor countries the determination of the Turkish Cypriots for solution and EU accession. In the statement the organizations accused Rauf Denktas "and his companions" that they preserved the status quo and denied the will of the Turkish Cypriots in the Hague. The organizations also stressed that they will continue the struggle in favour of solution within democratic frameworks.

[07] The Turkish Cypriots believe that Rauf Denktas is intransigent

According to the results of the mini opinion poll the Turkish Cypriots described Denktas' behaviour in the Hague meeting as "intransigent" and said that due to this attitude the results of the talks did not come as a surprise to them. "It does not matter what we say. They act their way", the persons said referring to Denktas and his aids.

Moreover, the Turkish Cypriots said that they would not abandon the struggle for solution of the Cyprus problem. Despite the fact that they set their hopes on the Hague meeting, the Turkish Cypriots said that they did not lose their faith because of the failure of the talks. "We will not allow anyone to destroy the future of the youth", they stressed. Moreover, the persons asked, expressed the belief that in the end what people want will prevail and stressed that whatever happens those who want solution and European Union accession, will not abandon their hopes.

[08] After torpedoing the talks in the Hague, Denktas is now said to conditionally accept referendum

Diplomats answering the claims that Denktas had failed to reach an agreement on the Annan plan, state countering views. According to the information received from diplomatic sources, Denktas accepted to hold a referendum in the divided island of Cyprus on April 6. It was stated that Denktas accepted discussing the revised Annan plan and suggested to fill in the vague points and clarify ambiguities of the plan. He also suggested that the two island leaders further negotiate the plan until March 28, and then hold a referendum on April 6. Papadopoulos, on the other hand, stated he needs two months to narrate the plan to the Greek Cypriot people before holding a referendum in the Greek part.

The Hague summit last week witnessed the failure of the Annan Plan. After a long dispute at the Hague, Denktas and Papadopoulos refused to hold referenda on the Annan plan if it is not revised. Annan accused Denktas for the failure of the plan. Turkey stated that both Denktas and Papadopoulos refused the plan while Annan accused only Denktas.

The Turkish side insisted on negotiating the plan with the Greek side and holding a referendum on the agreement reached from Annan's plan. Denktas indicated that time pressure made by the EU was relevant, while Papadopoulos declared that discussing the plan publicly is important.

The first and foremost of these consequences will be the spill-over of the unilateral Greek Cypriot accession on the 'long and winding' European Union road of Turkey. The Greek Cypriot administration "representing the entire island" will sign in Athens an Accession Treaty with the Greek EU term president. Turkey and "TRNC" will discuss with Greek Cyprus with a weak hand to negotiate. At the December 12-13 summit in Copenhagen last year, the European Union named Cyprus as one of the ten-country expansion process, which will be completed in May 2004.

EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement Guenther Verheugen's speaker Jean-Christophe Filori stated that Turkey will be considered as the invader of EU territories if the issue is not solved by April 16.

Turkey reacted heavily to the statement. The Foreign Ministry in a written statement underlined that Filori's words indicated disinformation about the Cyprus issue. The ministry mentioned the 1959 and 1960 agreements which appoint Turkey as the guarantor state and give the rights of intervention to the island when it is required. "Peace and stability has been provided on the island for the last 30 years following the peace intervention," the statement declared.

The statement underlined that Turkey favours finding a solution to the issue and has rights to deploy troops to the island according to the guarantee agreement.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Ahmet Ali Birand: "For Cyprus, cough up the money"

Following is the extract on Cyprus from the commentary which is mainly dedicated to the Kurdish problem and to a division that appears to exist between the Iraqi Kurds and the Turks of Kurdish origin:

"Now, a new rescue plan is being prepared for the Northern part of Cyprus which Rauf Denktas has saved (!) by fighting courageously. The plan will be implemented soon. That will be a plan directed at the "pockets" and at the "hearts".

The part directed at the pockets amount to rewarding or, to put it differently, "buying the loyalty" of all those who have been demonstrating pro or con.

Turkey will fill the coffers of the `TRNC' government with the money which would have otherwise gone to the poor people in Turkey. The associations, chambers, groups that have fought bravely for Denktas will get their share of that money. Money will be distributed to those who want to set up their own businesses. Farmers' debts will be written off. Incentives (!) will be increased. The allowances of the mujaheeds, that is, the former resistance fighters, and of the tens of thousands of pensioners who get pensions without doing any work at all, will be readjusted.

Again with this money, an effort will be made to win the hearts of those who are against Denktas. Thus a national consensus will be worked out and hope will be given to the young people.

Those who refuse to toe the line will be faced with a campaign of strict controls, intimidation and silencing "in the name of the homeland." Intimidating action will be openly taken against them in the name of "preventing the foreigners from splitting the `TRNC¨ up."

All these will cost $500 million annually.

Come on, cough up the money."

/SK

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